To meet the increasing demand of the sugar and Gur sectors, BSRI has already adapted new research strategy. It is expected that this change from traditional research to modern target oriented research will help sugarcane farmers, sugar and Gur industries of the country attaining self reliance. The new research strategies are as follows :

       ·         Biotechnology based sugarcane improvement.

¨     Target oriented breeding for high sugar, high tonnage, rapid growing, salinity tolerance, self-detrashing and non-lodging characteristics.

¨      Transfer of disease resistant traits through recombinant DNA technology (Agrobacterium mediated transformation).

¨      Micropropagation of elite sugarcane varieties for rapid seed production. Micropropagation of stevia (a sweetener plant suited to diabetic patients).

¨      Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) in sugarcane (Screening of sugarcane clones for BNF-endowment). In future, necessity of using urea fertilizer will be decreased (>60%) with the releasing of sugarcane varieties with BNF-endowment.

¨      Development of 'Agronomic package' for intensive intercropping and sustainable sugarcane-based farming. Cultivation techniques for perpetual planting of sugarcane and intercrop on the same land has year after year been developed.

¨      Biological control of major insects (Stem borer, early shoot borer, root stalk borer, white grubs and pyrilla leaf hopper). Identification of effective bio-control agents (both native and exotic). Determination of strategies (release time and rate) for using Trichogramma sp. as biocontrol agents.

¨      Biological control of sugarcane diseases. Identification of microflora antagonists to major sugarcane pathogen. Indexing of sugarcane diseases through the application of DNA based molecular protocols.

¨      Plant extract clarificant for gur manufacturing. Development of suitable plant extract that can be used as clarificant in gur manufacturing.

¨      Utilization of by-products of sugar industry (bagasse as substrate for mushroom cultivation, pressmud as fertilizer etc.).

¨      Development of improved varieties for gur production and chewing purpose.

¨      Improvement of management packages for sugarcane ratooning for higher yield and recovery.

¨      Thurst on Adaptive Research, On Farm Research, Farming Systems Research and Technology Transfer Research for socio-economic development of the farmers.

¨      Strengthening of research activities on uncommon sweetener crops like Palmyra palm, Date-palm etc. as per mandate of BSRI.